Fifty all-electric Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans are to go on trial in Germany, in a government-funded deal worth around €9m. The vans are development models that will be used to gather data about the performance of the li-ion battery system in real world conditions and to investigate infrastructure requirements for such vehicles.

The aim of the trial is to reach a point where such vans can be sold at a price point and with performance that will make them attractive to commercial operators. Vans used for urban deliveries are proving to be one of the ripest markets for electric vans – their low mileage, defined routes and stop-start driving is ideal for getting the most from an electric drivetrain with regenerative braking. Coincidentally, such conditions are the least efficient and most polluting for internal combustion engines, adding to the appeal of an alternative.

The first vans are due for delivery to trial partners in 2010. Mercedes describes its trial customers as “primarily fleet operators and public bodies conducting transport operations in environmentally sensitive areas. The main emphasis here is on short-range operating profiles with frequent stops in inner-city areas.”